Drinking vessels with indicator sleeves

ABSTRACT

A drinking vessel includes one or more self-retaining indicator sleeves, each including a detenting mechanism for positioning a window in the sleeve relative to a number, symbol, or picture to be viewed through the window, the detenting mechanism also serving to retain the sleeve on the drinking vessel.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. Ser. No. 62/994,421, filed Mar. 25, 2020, and incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a drinking vessel having one or more indicator sleeves. The indicator sleeves can be used to indicate the number of drinks consumed from the vessel, to convey other information, or as an entertainment device for young children. The indicator sleeve preferably includes a detenting mechanism for positioning a window in the sleeve relative to a number, symbol, or picture to be viewed through the window, the detenting mechanism also serving to retain the sleeve on the drinking vessel.

2. Description of Related Art

Copending provisional U.S. Patent Appl. No. 62/983,948, filed Mar. 2, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a shot glass or cannabis pipe with a ratcheting indicator sleeve, used for the purpose of keeping track of the number of shots or hits consumed from the shot glass or pipe. The present invention applies the concept of an indicator sleeve to vessels other than shot glasses or pipes, for purposes other than tracking consumption of intoxicating substances. For example, the indicator sleeve may be applied to a water glass or bottle to track hydration, or to a child's “sippy” cup to track a number of sips or drinks, to teach counting, or as an entertainment device.

Because the indicator sleeve of the invention can be used for purposes other than just tracking of intoxicant consumption, the detenting mechanism may be configured to enable two-way as well as one-way rotation of the sleeve, in contrast to the exemplary embodiments disclose in copending provisional U.S. Patent Appl. No. 62/983,948, which only permit one way rotation of the sleeve.

The prior art includes a number of drink indicators, but none in the form of a simple self-retaining detenting sleeve that can be placed on the main body of the drinking vessel itself. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,246 discloses a numerical dial indicator placed on a separate cup holder rather than the drinking vessel itself, and which moreover is not on the body but rather is in a handle of the cup holder. As a result, the indicator is limited in size, making it difficult to read and manipulate, relatively fragile, and only able convey information relating to use of the holder, as opposed to specific vessels that may be placed in the holder.

Another prior mechanical drink counter, proposed in Austrian Publication No. AT51859, utilizes a tube filled with balls and attached to a mug, and a plunger mechanism arranged to be activated to eject a ball after consumption of a beer. Again, this indicator is difficult to read, subject to breakage, and also only able to convey limited information.

Instead of mechanical drink counters, it has been proposed to provide indicators that utilize complicated electronic sensors and displays. International Patent Publication No. WO 2017/165528 discloses one such electronic drink counter, in the form of an orientation sensor provided on a “shot glass” to detect the number of drinks taken from the shot glass and control a numeric or graphic display, either on the glass itself or through a wireless connection to an external display. Such counters are relatively expensive, require batteries, and prone to failure from rough handling.

An alternative approach to drink counting is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0354407, which describes a drink counter on a wristband. In one embodiment, a window is manually moved around the circumference of the band, which is printed with numbers 1-12, to indicate the number of drinks consumed. While useful for single session in which a number of drinks are consumed in a short period of time, it is unlikely that a consumer could be persuaded to wear such a wristband over the extended period required to count drinks of water, or that it would have much utility in the context of a child's nippy cup.

Of additional interest as background are U.S. Pat. No. D587,068, which appears to show a cup with a slip-on holder having an arrow that can be used to point to one of multiple drink-types printed around a circumference of the cup, and U.S. Patent Publications Nos. 8,177,437 and 8,739,972, and 2013/0008941, which disclose beverage container holders that include automatically-incremented displays of the number of times a beverage container is placed into a holder. Also of background interest, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019/198393 discloses a “toast counter” that counts the number of drinks by using radio waves and/or capacitive sensing to detect the level of liquid in a glass, U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,384 discloses a shot glass that flashes in response to activation by an inertial switch, and German Patent Publication No. DE 10201804744 discloses a drinking vessel that uses liquid volume measurement to track consumption.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an objective of the invention to provide a drinking vessel having an indicator sleeve that is easy to read and manipulate by a user, and that can be used for a variety of purposes including, but not limited to, monitoring of fluid consumption, education of young children, and entertainment.

It is a second objective of the invention to provide an indicator sleeve for a drinking vessel that is simple in structure and easy-to-assemble to the drinking vessel.

It is third objective of the invention to provide a self-retaining indicator sleeve for a drinking vessel.

These and other objectives are achieved, in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, by providing a drinking vessel with a self-retaining, indicator sleeve made up of a cylindrical, frustoconical, or tapered sleeve-like main body having a window for viewing one of a series of numbers or other symbols or pictures extending around the circumference of the drinking vessel, and a plurality of detenting tines extending downwardly and inwardly from the sleeve to engage notches in the vessel, the notches being positioned such that, when the tines extend into respective notches, the window is positioned to show one of the numbers, symbols or pictures.

In variations of the illustrated embodiments, the notches can be symmetrically shaped to permit two-way rotation of the sleeve, or asymmetrically shaped to provide a ratcheting effect, as described in copending provisional U.S. Patent Appl. No. 62/983,948. Also, the self-retaining indicator sleeve positioned anywhere on the main body of the drinking vessel, and multiple sleeves can be positioned or stacked on a single drinking vessel.

While specific types of drinking vessel are shown, the drinking vessels may include a variety of glasses, cups, and liquid containers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a sippy cup having an indicator sleeve constructed in accordance with the principles of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a disassembled sippy cup main body and sleeve of the type shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view showing the interior of a sleeve of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view showing a sleeve of the type illustrated in FIG. 3, which has been assembled to a drinking vessel such as the sippy cup of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a water bottle having an indicator sleeve of the type illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a drinking vessel with multiple indicator sleeves of the type illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are respective cross-sectional side views of the drinking vessel and the multiple indicator sleeves of FIG. 65.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the assembled drinking vessel of FIG. 7A and sleeve of FIG. 7B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, a sippy cup with an indicator sleeve constructed in accordance with the principles of an exemplary first preferred embodiment of the invention includes a sippy cup main body 30 and an indicator sleeve 31 retained on the main body 30 and rotatable relative thereto.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a lower section 46 the main body 30 includes a series of numbers, symbols, or any other set of pictures or patterns 33 engraved into, printed on, or otherwise arranged around the external circumference of the main body 30. These numbers, symbols, or pictures are positioned so that they can be viewed through a window 34 in the sleeve 31 when the sleeve 31 is assembled to the main body 30, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. As the sleeve 31 is rotated around the main body 30, different numbers, symbols, or pictures will appear in the window 34. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the numbers, symbols, or pictures 33 may take any form, including numbers, symbols, or pictures that are engraved or physically formed in the surface of the main body 1, printed, painted or silkscreened, or in the form of stickers.

To ensure that the window 34 will be appropriately positioned to view one of the numbers, symbols, or pictures 33, the main body 30 includes a detenting mechanism that extends along generally vertically extending side surfaces of the main body 30 and sleeve 31 and includes tines 35 and notches 37. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the main body 30 is generally cylindrical or frustoconical in shape and includes an upper section 45 with neck 32, to which a lid (not shown) can a be secured, and handles 38 corresponding to those of a conventional sippy cup. The outer diameter of the lower section 46 is reduced by an amount that is equal to a thickness of the sleeve 31, so that when the sleeve 31 is fitted over the main body 30, as shown in FIG. 4, the outer body of the shot glass also forms a continuous frustoconical outer surface 44.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, tines 35 extend downwardly and inwardly from an interior surface of a base 36 of sleeve 31 to engage the notches 37 in the exterior surface of lower section 46 of main body 30 when the sleeve 31 is assembled to the main body 30. Tines 35 may be formed by cutting or stamping sections of the sleeve 31 surrounding the tines 35 to form openings 38 that define three edges and one principal surface of the pawls, and bending the tines 35 inwardly about an upper edge or edges 39. The thickness of the tines 35 may be less than the thickness of the sleeve 31, so that the cuts do not extend to the exterior of the sleeve 31, and the tines 35 are not visible when the sleeve 31 is assembled to the main body 30.

In operation, when the sleeve 31 is rotated relative to main body 30 to move the window 34 from one of the numbers, symbols, or pictures 33 to another one of the numbers 33, the tines 35 are moved from one notch 37 aligned with one of the numbers, symbols, or pictures 33 to an adjacent notch 37 aligned with the next higher one of the numbers 33. For example, it the indicator is intended to show a number of drinks, then the numbers may be arranged in sequence and rotation of the sleeve will move the window from one number to a next higher number to increment the count. The movement may be one-directional or two-directional, depending on the shape of the notches 37. If the movement is two-dimensional, then a sloped surface 40 can be provided on each side of the notch to permit the tines 35 to exit the notches 37 in either direction. However, to achieve a ratcheting effect, the notches can be asymmetrical, with one side have a radial surface 41 that blocks movement of a tine past the surface when the sleeve is rotated to cause the tine to encounter the radial surface, the sloped surface 40 on the opposite side of the notch permitting movement of the tine out of the notch when the sleeve is rotated in an opposite direction.

As best illustrated in FIG. 4, the sleeve 31 is retained on the main body 30 by cooperation between tines 35 and an outwardly extending rim 42 that is shaped to allow the tines 35 to pass over the rim 42 as the sleeve 31 is assembled to the main body 30 from below, and to prevent disassembly by engagement between bottom edges 43 of the tines 35 with an upper surface of the rim 42, thereby eliminating the need for a separate fastener to secure the sleeve 31 to the shot glass main body 30.

It will be appreciated that although the tines 35 of this embodiment are illustrated as extending from an inner surface of sleeve 31, while the corresponding notches 37 are illustrated as extending from an exterior surface of main body 30, it is also within the scope of the invention to extend the pawls from the main body 30 and to form the corresponding notches on sleeve 31. In addition, it will be appreciated that the main body 30 and sleeve 31 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 may be molded from a resin or plastic material, formed of cast or sheet metal, or made of any other suitable material or combination of materials without departing from the scope of the invention. Similar variations in pawl/detent and notch positions, and materials of the main body and sleeve, may also be made with respect to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5-8, described below.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of the invention in which a rotating sleeve 50 of the type illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 is applied to a re-fillable water bottle main body 51 having numbers, symbols, or pictures 53 formed, printed, painted, or otherwise present thereon, the numbers, symbols, or pictures 53 being visible through a window 54 as the sleeve 51 is rotated relative to the main body 50 in the manner described above in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4.

FIGS. 6, 7A, 7B, and 8 show another exemplary embodiment of the invention in which multiple self-retaining sleeves 61-63 are placed on a single drinking vessel main body 60. Each of the sleeves may have an identical configuration, including windows 34 through which numbers, symbols, or pictures 33 are visible, except that the shape and diameter of the sleeves 61-63 may be varied to fit the shape of the main body 60. The bottom edge of sleeve 62 faces the top edge of sleeve 61, and the bottom edge of sleeve 63 faces the top edge of sleeve 62, with sufficient space between the sleeves to enable relative rotation of individual sleeves 61-63 relative to the main body 60, and of individual ones of the sleeves 61-63 relative to each other.

A detenting mechanism corresponding to the one show in FIGS. 2-4 is provided for each of the sleeves 61-63, the detenting mechanisms including tines 74 and corresponding tines 67. As with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, notches 74 may be symmetric in a circumferential direction to permit both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation, or asymmetric with respect to the circumference of the sleeve 31 and main body 30 to provide a single direction ratcheting effect.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the main body 60 includes rims or upwardly facing walls 69, which correspond to rim 42 shown in FIG. 4, and serve to retain the indicator sleeves on the main body 60 by engagement with bottom edges of the tines 74, in the same manner as described above in connection with rim 42 and tines 37 shown in FIG. 4. Tines 74 may be, but are not required to be, identical in structure to tines 37. Except for the bottom rim 69, which retains the lowermost sleeve 61, the walls 61 do not need to be continuous but rather may be provided as the lowermost surfaces of respective notches.

Each of the sleeves 61-63 is retained on the main body 60 by engagement between bottom edges of the tines 74 and a respective lower groove wall or rim 69. The topmost sleeve 63 may be prevented from upward movement by a collar 70 that extends around the main body 60.

Although embodiments of the invention have been described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated that modifications of the illustrated embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the shapes and locations of the tines and notches that form the detenting mechanism may be varied in any way that still permits one-way or two-way movement of a sleeve relative to the main body, and stable positioning of the window relative to one of the numbers, symbols, or pictures until a force is applied by a user to intentionally increment the number displayed in the window. The shape and size of the drinking vessel may of course be varied. As a result, the invention is not to be limited by the above description or the accompanying drawings, but rather is to be defined solely in accordance with the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A drinking vessel, comprising: a main body, configured to hold a substance for consumption by the user; a series of numbers, symbols or pictures that extend at least partially around a circumference of the main body; at least one sleeve rotatably mounted on the main body, the sleeve having a window through which at least one but less than all of the numbers, symbols or pictures is visible at a time; and a detenting mechanism that includes a plurality of tines and a corresponding number of notches to enable rotation of the at least one sleeve in at least one direction, and that maintain the window in a stationary position relative to one of the numbers, symbols or pictures by cooperation between respective tines and corresponding notches until force is applied by the user to rotate the sleeve, and wherein rotation of the sleeve relative to the main body causes the sleeve to move from one number, symbol, or picture to another number, symbol, or picture.
 2. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve is retained on the main body by engagement between bottom edges of the tines and an upper surface of a rim or an upwardly facing wall extending around the main body.
 3. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tines extend downwardly and inwardly from an inner surface of the at least one sleeve and the notches extend circumferentially around an outer surface of the main body.
 4. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the notches are symmetrically shaped with respect to a circumference of the drinking vessel to enable both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the sleeve.
 5. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tines extend downwardly and inwardly from an inner surface of the at least one sleeve and the notches extend circumferentially around an outer surface of the main body.
 6. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the notches are symmetrically shaped with respect to a circumference of the drinking vessel to enable both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the sleeve.
 7. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drinking vessel is a sippy cup.
 8. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drinking vessel is a water bottle.
 9. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of sleeves rotatably mounted on the main body is at least two.
 10. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the number of sleeves rotatably mounted on the main body is three. 